Sunday, April 19, 2009

Vietnam Part One

Traveling There: I lay suspended in the dreaming sky. Endlessly floating among a field of blooming clouds, a lone star and the bright moon are my sole companions in this ethereal dark. Their light wreathes my skin in their holiness as I traverse the angels' footpath. On my right, the sky relinquishes a faint rust influencing the sky above it to metamorph from steely blue to a soft sapphire. Above me, the light of the rising sun and the setting moon collide in a never ending catclysmic battle with each combatant saited only when the other is devoured. The cloud-path ends and under me rolls the soft snowy peaks of the cold Siberan land. Death is made so soft by the forgiving snow. The stiff rivers of the tundras carve their icy path through the crevasses; the with billowing powder rolls along side them, carressed and urged gently by the invisible breaths of the air. The land gives way to the ice floes, their cliffs violently meeting the frozen sea.

Day One:
Today I went out on a walk with my parents and shopped at many stores! There were really really cute stuffed animals and jewelry. I didn't buy any stuffed animals because there's cuter ones in Japan that I wanna buy. JAPAN! yes, i'll be going there next week on my way back to the USA. I'll buy lots of Hello Kitty! stuff and distribute them to all my buddies back home. lol. wait, everybody must be thinking "She has buddies?! No way!" yes. I have buddies no matter how odd I am.

Anyways, I went out wearing my four inch wedges, which was a mistake because the sidewalks are in complete disrepair and it was so hard to navigate them safely. Traffic is crazy too. I believe that everyone is breaking all the known laws of traffic here. Even the moped drivers, who are supposed to be confined to the street, drive on the sidewalks. I've seen a couple of small cars too barreling through the sidewalks! no wonder the sidewalks are so abused! anyways, back to my shoes. They made me look like a giant among the natives! I felt tall, which is something I've never felt before. It's a nice feeling and gives me a sense of superiority. but, like in Japan everyone is so skinny. I'm envious. lol. but walking on the abused sidewalks made my feet hurt, so right now I'm walking with a pronounced limp and my feet smell of blister ointment. gross. 

another thing that I like about Vietnam is that everything is Asian sized! I was estatic when the eye hole on my hotel room door was a low height and that I was able to easily look through it! ASIAN SIZED! YES! It's also nice to be part of the majority. I like making fun of the white tourists because their paleness just sticks out like white on black and they always have a confused look on their face. I feel a sense of belonging here and I am no longer conscious of stereotyping and of what others expect from me. I really love this place and being here just changed my mind where I would want to live in the future. I want to live somewhere in Asia! Majority rules! Asian power!

Yet, another thing I like about vietnam is the cheapness of everything. I can get really pretty items for less than a dollar and delicious food costs about 2-3 dollars a dish. I really do mean that the food is D-E-L-I-C-I-O-U-S! And, I can get my hair washed and styled for $2.50. I got my hair washed today and they shampooed my hair twice,massaged it, conditioned it, massaged and exfoliated my face, and blow dried and straightened my hair. I think I'll get my hair washed everyday!

Okay, this is all that I can think of writing. It's about 3:15pm here and everyone here is having their afternoon siesta. lol. I think I'll go to sleep now. tonight, I'll be meeting family and going out for a buffet dinner! i hope i don't gain too much weight here!

The only thing that I hated seeing was the poverty on the streets. There are many well-to-do people here who have three meals a day, a steady income, and a roof over their heads. However, there are many needy souls who sleep on the streets and beg for money, rattling their empty hats at tourists. I see amputees and blind victims who sell lottery tickets to make a living. I see a hungry man rummaging through trash and upon finding a crushed, half-full plastic cup of who knows what, proceeds to drink the contents thirstily. I can't stand seeing this, but I can't help them all. How can I?

1 comment:

  1. I really enjoyed reading this post. The topic seemed to be one that you were very interested in and passionate about. I also liked the transition you had from the intro to the actual "journal" part of the entry. Everything changed about the way you wrote, so the reader was able to see two different sides to you. The intro had bigger words, while the "journal" part was more conversational. The "journal" let us see more of a personal side of your visit. I thought this post was well organized and easy to read.

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